March exhibition of Sukita‘s Bowie pictures at SNAP

“I‘m under Japanese influence”

Taking advantage of the influx of Bowie fans headed to the V&A from March 23rd, London‘s SNAP gallery will be hosting an exhibition of breath-taking Bowie photographs by Masayoshi Sukita.

Here‘s a bit from the SNAP blurb:

From 23 March 2013 we will be hosting the inaugural David Bowie retrospective of work by Japanese master photographer Masayoshi Sukita. This is one of the most exciting exhibitions we have put on at the gallery, and we have been working very hard behind the scenes with Sukita-san to put this together in a relatively short time-frame.

The exhibition, which has David Bowie’s personal seal of approval, features images from Sukita-san’s 40+ years of collaboration with David Bowie, and combines previously unseen images alongside familiar classics, in a range of physical sizes, including some dramatic large format pieces.

Sukita-san’s archive is truly outstanding - one of the most important David Bowie archives, if not the most, anywhere in the world. Perhaps best know for his “Heroes” cover photograph (which, coincidentally, features on the cover on the new album, The Next Day)

Sukita-san’s relationship with Bowie started in 1972, and the exhibition will cover work from 1972 to 2002.

Masayoshi Sukita: Photographs of David Bowie 1972 to 2002 runs from 23rd March to 30th April 2013. Keep an eye on the SNAP Galleries page for updates.

8 out of 10 TND review in Classic Rock magazine

“Oh, look out you rock 'n rollers”

The April issue of Classic Rock has an 8 out of 10 review of The Next Day by Charles Shaar Murray.

We‘ll leave you with a bit from the concluding paragraph:

It‘s the best thing he‘s done since Outside almost two full decades ago: a far, far better Bowie album than we had any right to expect.

David Bowie is being talked about in Guardian Weekend

“And as the sunrise stream, Flickers on me, My friends talk”

Well, the accompanying visual element to this story says it all.

Go read contributions from the twenty one folk listed below here. 

George Underwood, artist and lifelong friend

Ken Scott, produced several early Bowie albums

Dana Gillespie, singer and teenage squeeze 

Lindsay Kemp, taught Bowie dance and mime

"Whispering" Bob Harris, DJ and friend in Bowie's early days

Mick "Woody" Woodmansey, Spiders From Mars drummer

Geeling Ng, starred in the China Girl video

Toni Basil, choreographed the Diamond Dogs and Glass Spider tours

Julien Temple, directed Bowie in pop videos and Absolute Beginners

Roger Taylor, Queen drummer

Sterling Campbell, drummer

Tony Selznick, taught Bowie to roller-skate for the Day-In Day-Out video

Adrian Belew, guitarist

Tim Pope, video director

Paul Tibbitt, recruited Bowie to provide a voice for animated TV series SpongeBob SquarePants

Édouard Lock, choreographer and artistic director on world tours

Kenneth Pitt, manager from 1966 to 1970

Geoff MacCormack, lifelong friend

Ricky Gardiner, guitarist during the Berlin period

Mike Garson, keyboards, Bowie's longest-serving musician

Zachary Alford, drummer on recent tours and albums, including the forthcoming The Next Day

David Bowie is Evening Standard Image Gallery

“You got ya mother in a whirl”

The headline says it all, check out what The London Evening Standard launched online earlier today. 

Young Americans 45 released this day in 1975

“Do you remember?”

David Bowie‘s Young Americans 45 was released on this day thirty eight years ago.

The release signalled yet another change in direction for Bowie and acted as a taster of what was to come with the album of the same name.

Young Americans was a worldwide hit for Bowie, giving him a Top 20 hit in the UK, a Top 30 in the USA and a #1 hit in New Zealand!

Go listen to what so appealed to New Zealanders (not to mention the rest of us), and continue listening to the whole amazing album while you‘re there. A true classic! 

5-star TND review and 36-page Bowie cover feature in Q

“Every magazine on every shelf…Part 347”

The April issue of Q magazine has a 36-page cover feature including a two-page five-star-review of The Next Day.

Here‘s the blurb from qthemusic.com:

Our next issue, Q321 out on Tuesday (26 February), is a David Bowie special - Along with the review of new album The Next Day, we preview the V&A's forthcoming exhibition with an exclusive look at what's on show, plus take a career-spanning look at the icon.

The Next Day revised release dates

“What In The World”

Well, we did warn you that the worldwide release dates for The Next Day were subject to change and that‘s exactly what they‘ve done.

This latest list should please the Australians who are back to the 8th for their release date once again.

We should also point out that for the vinyl pressing of The Next Day you should add two weeks to the dates below. So the UK vinyl will be issued on the 25th, for example.

March 8:

Australia/New Zealand

Germany

Switzerland

Austria

Belgium

Czech Republic

Finland

Netherlands

Ireland

Sweden

Turkey Digital (physical one week later)

March 11:

UK

Croatia

Denmark

France

Greece

Hong Kong

Hungary

Norway

Poland

Portugal

Serbia

South Africa

Latin America (ex-Mexico, ex-Brazil)

Asia (ex-Japan, ex- Taiwan, ex-Korea)

March 12:

Brazil

USA/Canada

Mexico

Italy

Korea

Spain

Taiwan

March 13:

Japan – Japan Edition with Bonus Track

‘The Next Day’ is available as:

14-track standard download and CD

17-track deluxe download and CD (includes 3 bonus tracks)

17-track double vinyl album (includes 3 bonus tracks)

18-track Blu-Spec CD2 in Japan only (includes 4 bonus tracks)

‘The Next Day’ tracklisting

01. The Next Day

02. Dirty Boys

03. The Stars (Are Out Tonight)

04. Love Is Lost

05. Where Are We Now?

06. Valentine’s Day

07. If You Can See Me

08. I'd Rather Be High

09. Boss of Me

10. Dancing Out In Space

11. How Does the Grass Grow?

12. (You Will) Set the World On Fire

13. You Feel So Lonely You Could Die

14. Heat

Bonus tracks:

15. So She

16. Plan

17. I'll Take You There

18. God Bless The Girl (Japan only)

German Rolling Stone has 10-page Bowie cover feature

“Every magazine on every shelf”

Hot-on-the-heels of the latest French edition of Rolling Stone magazine, the March issue of German Rolling Stone has a ten-page cover feature with details regarding The Next Day and 10 key moments in the career of The Thin White Duke.

The Stars/WAWN? for RSD limited edition vinyl 7” 45

“The Stars (Are Out April)”

The Stars (Are Out Tonight) backed with Where Are We Now? is scheduled for a limited edition vinyl 7” 45 Record Store Day release on April 20th 2013.

Both tracks are from the forthcoming “The Next Day” album and this 7” joins the previously announced RSD 7” vinyl releases: the Drive-In Saturday picture disc and the Bowie 1965! EP.

The Stars (Are Out Tonight) will still be available digitally a week from now on February 26th, as we mentioned on Saturday.

Create your very own The Next Day cover now

“All the next days of my life”

Be the envy of those who really want a quick and easy way of creating their very own version of The Next Day album cover, but have yet to hear about this great new app.

We're very much looking forward to seeing how creative you folk can be with this and so without delaying you further, go here now.

Spaceboy single first said Hallo this day in 1996

“This chaos is killing me”

David Bowie's Hallo Spaceboy single is seventeen-years-old today.

Credited to Bowie/Eno, the song was originally released on the 1995 “1. Outside” album.

The track was reworked and produced by the Pet Shop Boys for the single, giving David Bowie a #12 hit in the UK.

The chart placing was no doubt helped by a slew of remixes and various formats, including a pink vinyl 45.

Bowie had this to say of the original album version:

“I adore that track. In my mind, it was like Jim Morrison meets industrial. When I heard it back, I thought, ‘Fuck me. It's like metal Doors,’ It's an extraordinary sound. ”

The Pet Shop Boys diluted that sound somewhat to make Hallo Spaceboy a little more accessible to a wider audience.

Nevertheless, it‘s a wonderful version but if you‘ve not heard it previously, you can make up your own mind here.

And here‘s the original for comparison.

French RS has 16-page Bowie feature

“Got to keep searching and searching”

The March issue of the French Rolling Stone magazine has a sixteen-page cover feature on the search for and the return of David Bowie, with contributions from Tony Visconti and Earl Slick.

Half of those pages are given over to an 8-page portfolio of images from the forthcoming David Bowie is exhibition.

A film by Mennomail and Sandeman

“Like the video films we saw”

This is cool. Check it out here.

What Bowie means to me in LIVE mag

“The stars are out tonight”

Tomorrow morning‘s edition of The Mail On Sunday in the UK contains a four-page feature within the LIVE magazine wherein a cast of celebrities express: “What Bowie means to me”.

The list includes Simon Cowell, Tina Turner, Danny Boyle, Al Murray, Clive Owen, Jon Savage, Lady Gaga, Jeremy Deller, Camille Paglia, Boy George, Ian Rankin, Alan Yentob, Bryan Ferry, Phil Manzanera, Terry O'Neill and Tony Oursler.

We‘ll leave you with the first on the list, but you can view the whole feature online here. 

Simon Cowell - Music mogul

‘I think if I could have anyone on The X Factor it would be David Bowie. It’s no secret I’ve asked him, and he hasn’t said yes yet, but I’ll keep extending the invitation. Why Bowie? He’s a legend. He’s a great songwriter, he has massive influence on music today and he’s 100 per cent credible. I’m a fan. Not just of his music but of him, the man. He’s cool. Most of us aren’t. Bowie is.’

8-page V&A exclusive in L‘Espresso magazine

“Secret secrets never seen”

The February 14th edition of the Italian L‘Espresso magazine has eight pages given over to an exclusive behind the scenes shoot at the V&A‘s ‘David Bowie is’ exhibition by photographer Mads Greve.

Featuring several shots of items from the exhibition (unpublished elsewhere), the article also has a brief interview with the Creative Director of the Italian fashion house Gucci, Frida Giannini, wherein she talks about the influence of David Bowie on her work.

Many iconic items of stage wear are among the items photographed, along with the 1983 Serious Moonlight Tour Cracked Actor skull, a salamander brooch from 1971, Vivienne Westwood skeleton earring worn at the Brit Awards in 1996 and other fascinating items.

L‘Espresso magazine is available now.

US hit by wave of mysterious posters and stencilling

“There’s something in the air”

Intriguing fly posters and stencils have appeared in New York, LA, Boston, San Francisco and Chicago today.

And apparently they are spreading.

Share #TheNextDay

Rebel Rebel released on this day in 1974

“Hot tramp, I love you so”

Though the press adverts proclaimed that it was a Valentine's Day release, Rebel Rebel was actually released on the 15th of February, thirty nine years ago today.

This was because (as with 2013) the 14th fell on a Thursday but singles were issued on a Friday in the UK in 1974.

The release, which had already been put back two weeks, (original printed release date on demo label is Feb 1st) was a slightly edited version of the song from the forthcoming Diamond Dogs album and it was backed with Queen Bitch from Hunky Dory.

An exclusive New York Mix (label illustrated here), which was almost a minute and a half shorter than the regular single mix, was released in North America and Mexico in May 1974 backed with Lady Grinning Soul.

This second version was more urgent than the original, with a backward echo effect on the new la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la backing vocals, castanets and more general excitement all round. More akin to the live version that would be performed shortly on the US Diamond Dogs tour.

At the time, this US version was relatively elusive in the UK and though it's widely available now, it was quite collectable outside of North America back then.

Rebel Rebel became David Bowie's sixth Top Five single in the UK, but similar success in the USA would elude him until the following year.

Go and have a listen to the New York Mix now. 

BAAL EP released on this day in 1982

“Down in space it‘s always 1982”

David Bowie in Bertolt Brecht’s Baal is a five-track EP comprising recordings of songs written for Bertolt Brecht’s play Baal.

Sometimes overlooked by the casual fan, the BAAL EP contains a couple of incredible vocal performances from Bowie.

The lyrics to the songs were translated by Ralph Manheim and John Willett. Dominic Muldowney provided the new musical settings, except for "The Drowned Girl", which was originally created by Kurt Weill for Das Berliner Requiem.

In September 1981, Bowie and Tony Visconti returned to the Hansa studios in Berlin to re-record the five songs Baal performed in the play listed below.

Baal’s Hymn (Brecht/Muldowney) – 4:02

Remembering Marie A (Traditional, adapted by Brecht/Muldowney) – 2:07

Ballad of the Adventurers (Brecht/Muldowney) – 2:01

The Drowned Girl (Brecht/Weill) – 2:26

The Dirty Song (Brecht/Muldowney) – 0:38

A video of Bowie singing the harrowing tale of The Drowned Girl was shot by David Mallet at the same time as the promo for Wild is the Wind. 

Wild is the Wind was released at the tail end of 1981 to promote the CHANGESTWOBOWIE greatest hits package.

Bowie‘s performance as Baal was transmitted on February 2nd, 1982 with RCA issuing the EP to coincide with the broadcast. No doubt positive reactions to the former helped the latter into the Top Thirty UK singles chart. No mean feat considering the unconventional nature of the recordings. 

The EP was re-released as a digital download in 2007 and if you‘re not familiar with the recordings start with the delightful Remembering Marie A now, and check out the rest of the EP while you‘re about it. A true hidden gem if ever there was one.

New Barnbrook interview in Clash magazine

“Count them, fifteen ‘round the Table”

The March 2013 issue of CLASH magazine (The Fashion Issue) has a double-page feature on Jonathan Barnbrook and the creation of the sleeve for Table. Sorry, The Next Day. It‘s an illuminating read worth checking out. 

Find out more about this superb magazine on the CLASH site. We'll leave you with this excerpt.

The design process was all very secretive, as requested, to be safe. And we never use David Bowie's name or the album name - we had a code word for it: he was just called ‘The Artist’ and the album was called ‘Table’. I don't know why. Someone from Sony suggested it and it was that to everyone until two weeks before the release.

I don't know how this album cover fits in with all his others. I think it's a design of this time, you know? I mean, it's not ‘Aladdin Sane’, but that's one of the most significant album covers in the history of music. But for me you can't compare them because this is about this time and who he is now and if this album cover had been done ten or fifteen years ago, people would have misunderstood it even more than they do now.